A More Perfect Nation
by AnimeGirl124
Summary: 50 years ago, alien contact was made. Humans welcomed them, but when an alien virus broke out killing thousands, tensions arose between the two races. Years later, an alliance was struck. Both species worked together to form IEP, a program designed to unite the two races. Tavros and Terezi are about to begin their first year at Muvera's School of Cohabilitation.(Full des. Inside)


**Title:** A More Perfect Nation

**Summary:** 50 years ago, first alien contact was made. The species? Trolls. Nocturnal beings with grey skin and horns, and whose technology far surpassed humanities. Humans welcomed them, cared for them, treated them as equals. But when an alien virus broke out that killed several thousand humans, tensions arose between the two races.

Several years later, an alliance was struck. Both trolls and humans worked together to form IEP, a program designed to unite the two races within a school setting.

Tavros, Terezi, and their relatives are about to begin their first year at Muvera's School of Cohabilitation. With tensions high between the two races, getting through the program will be one hell of a ride.

**Relationships:** Gamzee Makara/Tavros Nitram, John Egbert/Karkat Vantas, Eridan Ampora/Sollux Captor, Rose Lalonde/ Kankya Maryam, Rufioh Nitram/Horuss Zahhak, Meulin Leijon/Kurloz Makara, Sollux Captor/Aradia Megido, Aradia Megido/Equius Zahhak, Damara Megido/Rufioh Nitram, Cronus Ampora/Kankri Vantas, Jake English/Dirk Strider, Meenah Peixes/Aranea Serket, Mituna Captor/Latula Pyrope, Terezi Pyrope/Dave Strider, Terezi Pyrope/Vriska Serket, More will be added.

**Characters:** Pretty much everyone in Homestuck.

**Other Tags:** Alternate Universe, High School, Species Swap (minor)

Part of the "A More Perfect people" Series. (Can be read on my AO3 Account username CuddleFish124)

Prologue

The sound of tires scraping against the rough pavement of the road resonated through the fibers of the seat belt. A young boy sat idly in his car seat; a stuffed Peter Pan figurine perched on his lap. Outside the car the rain came down in light sheets, pattering the side of the window with small drops of water. If he pressed his hands against the glass, he could feel the slight chill of the outside world. It was cloudy again, but that was ok. Mama had promised there wouldn't be any thunder or lightning. Just rain. If Peter Pan could fight someone as scary as Captain Hook, then he could surely face his fear of lightning. Looking forward through the front window, he could see his best friend and her sister sitting in the back of their own car. Seeing him, the younger girl began to wave furiously and held up a sign.

"Hi Tavros!" it said in red crayon. The handwriting was messy; the "a" facing the wrong way and the "s" lying on its side. The "o" had been cutely turned into a smiley face with a poorly drawn brown Mohawk sprouting from the top. Tavros smiled. Terezi just couldn't resist turning the sign into a work of art. He was just about to hold up his matching sign when the car rounded a sharp corner, blocking his view of Terezi.

"Mom, how much further do we have to go until we get there?" His older brother asked, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. The seatbelt strap was starting to form a bright red line along the side of his brother's neck. Rufioh had just turned nine two weeks ago, and with the party had come his graduation from his car seat. Their mom had also let him dye his hair for the first time, the normally brown fibers now a bright electric blue color. His new Rubik's cube sat in his lap unfinished.

"We'll be there very soon. Just hold on a few more minutes, ok?" Rufioh hunched his shoulders and sat back, sighing heavily. Outside the trees lining the two-lane road swayed slightly in the breeze. It was barely spring, but already leaves were starting to bud on the bare limbs of the underbrush.

"Don't worry Rufioh we'll be there soon." He said cheerfully, trying to comfort his sibling. "If mama said we'll be there soon, we'll be there soon." The older boy smiled.

"Yeah I know, I just wish this thing didn't have to be so far away. Why couldn't she just come to the lab at home?"

"I told you boys last night." Muttered their father from the front passenger seat. "The Empress wants us to meet some special guests and they can't be moved from where they are right now."

"Yeah but you still haven't told us who the guests are." Rufioh pouted. "And why are you and mom even taking us to see them? If they're important then they probably aren't very fun."

"Luke I think this would be a perfect time to explain." Said their mother from the drivers seat.

"Emily I thought we agreed this was going to be a surprise for the children."

"I know but Tavros might need some clarification."

"What's a clarification?" Asked Tavros.

"An explanation." His brother translated.

"What do I need an explanation for?" Daddy had already told them they were going to meet some important people today, what more did he need to know?

"Don't worry about it Tavros. Dad'll tell us when we get there."

"Do Latula and Terezi know what the surprise is?"

"No, this will be a surprise for them as well." His mother answered.

"And speaking of arrival boys it looks like we're here." Through the windshield Tavros could see the road had emptied out into a small collection of buildings. All of them were made of wood; their rooftops dyed a dark shade of gray from the raindrops outside. All around them were trees. Most were still dead from winter, but there were a few evergreens. Behind them Tavros could see Terezi jumping in her seat, anxious to get outside.

"Finally!" Rufioh sighed, exhausted. "Mom can you adjust my seat belt now? It's really starting to hurt my neck."

As the two families pulled into the side parking lot Tavros' face paled. There were so many cars! And lots of cars meant a lot of people. His grip on his Peter Pan toy tightened. He didn't like large crowds. Too easy to lose track of Mammy and Daddy.

Seeing his sibling in discomfort, Rufioh silently reached out and grabbed Tav's hand, giving his younger brother a reassuring look. Tavros smiled, the tightness in his chest loosening slightly.

Now released from his seat belt, Tavros took a hesitant step outside. The cold rain felt like tiny prickles of ice against his skin, but it wasn't unpleasant. He guessed he could get used to it and **— **suddenly, he found himself sprawled across the ground, a young girl with short black hair and a toothy grin sitting atop his chest. Lips smeared with the cookie crumbs, her eyes were wide with excitement; her red dragon cape sprayed across the gravel.

"Hey Tavros! Hey Tavros look we're finally here!" She screeched in his ear and making him wince.

"H-hi Terezi." He gasped, the weight of the five-year old crushing his lungs. While he was happy to see his best friend, getting pounced on was always a painful endeavor. Finally, the young reptile removed herself from his chest, allowing fresh air to rush into his lungs. However the Pyrope's weren't done torturing him just yet.

"Hey Tavros, what's up little guy?" Latula greeted, pulling him up and giving him a hard slap on the back. "How was the drive over? Man it's been like forever since we left home doesn't it?"

"We were only in the car two hours Latula." Rufioh noted from behind him.

"Well yeah I know but it's still a long time."

"Kids if we could just get into that building over there we can get out of the rain and into dry shelter." Dr. Pyrope motioned towards the structures.

"I'll race you there Tavros!" Called Terezi, already taking off with a huge head start. Rufioh and Latula joined in too, racing after the excited five-year old.

"That wasn't fair!" Yelled Tavros, but he allowed himself to smile and run after her. She was wearing the same dragon cape he'd gotten her for her fifth birthday. In fact she'd been wearing it everyday since October without fail. It was practically a part of her now. Her stuffed dragon Pyralsprite dangled from its collar behind her.

"I got here first! I win I win!" The girl screeched in utter delight.

"Terezi honey you need to be quiet when we go in ok?" Her mother called from the car. Terezi nodded vigorously.

"That goes for the rest of you kids as well." Said Dr. Nitram, having finally caught up with the children. "We're going to be meeting some very important people today, and the four of you must be on your best behavior ok?"

"Alrighty Dr. Nitram sir!" Said Latula, saluting with one arm.

"What are we waiting for? I wanna see the surprise! Lets go!" And with that Terezi ran inside, her friend in tow. Tavros followed her through the doorway…

… And found himself staring up at a dark, hooded figure.

The man must have been at least five foot five. Maybe five foot six, he couldn't be sure. He couldn't see his face very well; the hood mostly obscured it. But he could definitely see the set of sharp white teeth grinning down at him. Immediately he realized that this man wasn't a human. He was a troll! But where were his horns? He had the gray skin but not the candy corn horns.

_Unless..._

Slowly, the mysterious man lowered his hood to reveal his two orange eyes and curved horns.

Tavros grinned.

"Uncle Lurros!" The boy exclaimed as he threw himself at his godfather. Lurros Theron was his dad's oldest and best friend. Tavros had known him since the day he was born. From his black hair sprouted his two horns, the yellow-orange structures curling along the shape of his sharp jawline. Tavros watched the two orange-colored eyes soften into a smile.

"Hello Tavros. How've you been?" His godfather's voice was gruff, yet smooth at the same time; it was surprisingly quiet for someone of his size. But Tavros knew better. He knew that voice could tell the most fantastic bedtime stories, and could sing the most beautiful songs he had ever heard.

"I've been great! Terezi and I are gonna be starting first grade in the fall and I'm so excited!"

"Hey Uncle Lurros." Rufioh grinned as he gave his dad's Moirail a big hug. "How've you been? We haven't seen you in a month! How's your Matesprit?"

"Rufioh, it's good to see you too. Cillia is doing just fine. We wanted to come to your birthday but work caught up with us. Cillia was actually supposed to come today, but her boss called her in early. However she made me promise to give you boys her love." He said as he wrapped both boys in a bear hug. Now where is your father? He-"

"Lurros!" The troll's smile widened.

"Luke." The two embraced like two brothers seperated at birth, both smiling as they separated.

"Its so good to see you again, my dear Moirail." Sighed Lurros, patting Luke's shoulder.

"That makes two of us then." Their father laughed.

Terezi giggled.

"Ah the young Pyropes! I reckon I haven't seen you since that last camping trip. How have your trumpet lessons been going?"

"I actually stopped 'cause I couldn't stop eating before going to my lessons." The little girl answered sheepishly. "But! Latula is getting _really_ good on her skateboard!"

"Yeah Mr. L you should totally check out my sick moves!" Latula added, jumping in the air and doing a 360.

"Well Latula you'll have to show me some of your 'sick moves' the next time I come over."

"It would be my pleasure!" Latula boasted as she puffed out her chest. Lurros smiled lightly before his face turned serious.

"Emily, did you tell the children why they were coming today?"

"I did not." She answered quietly. "Luke said that you wanted to explain it to them when we arrived, so I restrained myself." Lurros nodded.

"Thank you for honoring my request. I know it must have been hard; Alternian history was always your favorite subject." Emily smiled lightly. As his godfather walked away Tavros took in his surroundings. They seemed to be in a large entranceway, orange-brown carpet matted down from years of use. Along the back wall were several small sofas, three of which situated around an empty fire pit. Several unidentifiable pictures hung on the red-wooden walls. It was relatively warm from the heater set into the far right corner. Oddly, the whole place was deserted; contrary to the amount of cars he'd seen outside.

Taking a seat on one of the couches Lurros patted the seat next to him. "Children, would you be up for hearing another one of my stories before we go see the surprise?"

"Story? OMG yes Mr. L you tell the absolute _best_ stories of course we're up for it!" Tavros was sitting criss-cross applesauce next to Lurros before Latula was finished with her sentence. He _loved_ listening to his godfather's stories. They were always the best. No book could even compare to the fantastic tales his uncle could conjure up.

"Perfect. Have a seat then. Tavros I can see you are all ready to go." Tavros nodded vigorously.

"Alright, so before I begin, I need to ask you all a question."

"Shoot Mr.L." urged Latula.

"How much of our history do you know?"

"What's history?" Asked Terezi. Lurros chuckled. "Alright it looks like I'm going to have to start from the top. Tell me, do any of you know where the planet Alternia is?"

"Alternia?" Tavros cocked his head to the side. "Mommy said it was a really far away place in the sky."

"It's about a ten year trip from here to Alternia." Answered Rufioh. "And it's where you came from right Uncle Lurros?" The middle-aged troll nodded.

"Correct Rufioh. I didn't grow up on this planet like you. I grew up on Alternia with the rest of my kind."

"Wait," paused Tavros. "So Uncle Lurros if you're a troll from outer space, how did you get here?"

"Lurros came here on the Third Voyage twenty years ago." Explained his father.

"The Third Voyage?" Rufioh raised his eyebrows, sounding incredulous. "But dad wasn't that the-"

"The voyage that brought The Sickness?" Lurros completed. Rufioh nodded slowly. "Yes Rufioh you're correct. You seemed to have inherited your mother's talent in history." Rufioh beamed with pride.

"Daddy? What is Lurros talking about?" Asked Terezi. Her parents looked at each other at a loss for words.

"If you don't mind Jacob, Caroline," cut in Lurros "I would like to tell them the story. After all this is our races' history just as much as it is yours." The elder Pyropes nodded.

"So as I was saying, I didn't grow up on your planet. I came over here on The Third Voyage from our planet to Earth, almost forty years ago."

"Our Empress and the leaders of your world made an agreement to let us come to your planet. There were many quarrels about the decision on both sides, but the majority of our two races agreed to the treaty.

"Every ten years new ships arrive from my planet, carrying a thousand of my kin. I was on the Third Voyage as Luke mentioned. I was nine sweeps old, about eighteen years old in your time. I had come over to learn more about your kind, and met your dad at a research facility we had both been interning at. Others of my kind had simply come to live here in peace."

"But what made you decided to come?" Asked Latula. Lurros paused momentarily before looking down.

"My planet has a very…complicated past, and some of us just want to get away from it all. However the Third Voyage brought over…a slight problem." _Problem? _Tavros thought. _What kind of problem?_ Everything was fine with the trolls as far as he knew. What could possibly be wrong?

"Before we can leave our home planet, each of us has to go through a thorough inspection. Unfortunately one troll was somehow overlooked." Lurros was beginning to look distraught.

"Come now Lurros it wasn't your fault." Tavros' father said softly. "You said so yourself there were a lot of trolls on board. Who knew a virus could stay dormant for that long?"

"But he was my Matesprit."

"But it wasn't your fault." Lurros only looked down.

"Virus?" Asked Terezi.

"A kind of sickness dearie." Answered her mother.

"Like the flu?"

"More like a cold." Said Lurros sighing heavily. "A very bad cold. To our kind it wasn't very serious, a few days rest and we'd be right as rain. But for humans, it was nothing like that. Because of our planets hazardous terrain, we developed a high resistance to many illnesses, this virus included. However humans don't have a strong enough immune system to fight it off." The troll seemed to pause at that part. Closing his eyes he took another deep breath before continuing.

"The disease ransacked your planet. By the time we got it under control, several hundred thousand of your species had died." Tavros and Terezi didn't really understand what dying meant, but they knew it was bad. To them, it meant burying your favorite pet turtle in the ground and never playing with them again.

"Ever since then our relationship with your species has been…strained to say the least."

"But what does this have to do with the surprise?" Asked Terezi, clearly starting to lose interest with the story.

"Ah, well you see, we have recently gotten permission to have some special guests on your planet. Guests who beforehand were not allowed on Earth until they came of age."

"They aren't going to be boring are they?" Lurros grinned.

"Oh no, I have a feeling you will like these guests very-" Suddenly a loud beeping noise interrupted the small gathering. From his pocket Lurros pulled out a small pager. Pausing to read the screen the troll sighed.

"Come along now children, its time to see the surprise."

The entrance to the Oregon Caves was located a few hundred yards away from the parking lot. It was easy enough to find; the park rangers had laid down a metal railway that led directly into the dark caves. The hole in the rock wasn't very large, standing just over five feet. Looking inside all Tavros could see several icicle-like formations protruding from the walls. The stone structures looked too similar to giant sharp teeth, making him feel like he was being eaten alive. Beyond lay darkness. Judging from the echoes their footsteps made, the cave below was much larger on the inside. He clutched his mother's hand tighter.

"M-mommy," said Tavros hesitantly. "Do we really have to go down there?"

"Yes."

"B-but it's so dark, how can we tell where we're going?"

"I'll be leading the way Tavros so you have nothing to fear." Reassured his godfather. "If it makes you feel any better I brought along a flashlight to help guide us."

"Can I hold the flashlight?" Asked Rufioh.

"I don't see why not. Sure, you are now in charge of the flashlight." Rufioh grinned.

Not so quietly the group began to descend the long metal stairway. Tavros was right; this cave was much bigger on the inside. Looking up he could see several more stalactites hanging from the ceiling, along with other rock formations. From the floor sprouted stalagmites looking like upside-down icicles. In a few places he could see where the two formations had merged to form a pillar. With each step Tavros could hear the soft pattering of the rainwater falling down to the ground. Finally they reached the bottom of the sixty-foot cavern. Rufioh looked up and whistled.

"Man, I'd hate for one of those suckers to fall on us." Tavros froze.

"Rufioh!" Hissed his father, angry.

"Sorry! Don't worry Tavros they won't be falling on us. They are made of rock see?" Rufioh knocked a stalagmite for emphasis. "Those things are stuck tight to the ceiling. It would take a lot to bring one of those down." Tavros nodded but clearly wasn't convinced.

"Lets just get going. The opening is right over there. You can see a faint light coming out of the passage." Lurros was right. In the far left corner of the cave there was the faint glow of light. As the group approached it however Tavros felt his stomach tighten. It was so small! There was no way his parents could fit through that with him! He'd have to go by himself!

"I'll be right behind you." Whispered his mother. "Be brave like Peter Pan ok?" He nodded.

"Actually mom I can go with him if you want." Said Rufioh. "I think we could squeeze through there together."

"That would be a huge help Rufioh. Thank you for being so considerate." Rufioh smiled. "Come on Tavros, take my hand." His brother obeyed, and silently the two boys headed down the long corridor.

"Man, this thing is long!" Whistled Rufioh. "Must have been a lava tube at one time."

"A lava tube?"

"A place where lava used to be. By the looks of it there hasn't been any magma here for thousands of years." As the two boys passed through the narrow rock hall, the light seemed to get a little bit brighter, but not by much. "Figures." He heard his brother mutter. "If trolls don't like sunlight, then why would they want to work with all the lights on? It would be way better to…oh wow Tavros come up here you gotta see this!"

Stepping from the tube Tavros gasped. This cave was _much_ larger than the one they had come through. The ceiling seemed to be over a hundred feet high! The entire floor was lit up with dim light, allowing him to barely see the back wall. Like the previous cave, there were stalactites and stalagmites everywhere. On the walls on the floor on the ceiling, there was no end to them. However it was definitely warmer in this cave. The air seemed to be thicker too, and much more humid.

Looking over the ground Tavros's stomach tightened. So this is where all the people where.

Occupying the cave were over one hundred trolls and humans. They seemed to range in all shapes and sizes. Some had black hair while others had blond. Some had curved horns while others had straight ones. Unknown to Tavros, almost every major country was represented in the large enclosure. Spain, France, China, England; and of course the US. Set up along the edges of the cave were several lab tables, each holding various devices. Tavros spotted several sharp needles on one table and made a mental note to stay away from there.

Towards the back of the cave Tavros could see several scary-looking trolls standing completely still. They were much taller than the average troll, standing at about six feet. Their muscles bulged despite their lack of current use, skillfully displaying how powerful their limbs could be.

_But wait_…Tavros squinted his eyes. _There's someone standing behind the-_

"What the hell are you two runts doing down here?" Sneered a voice from his left. Turning around Tavros found himself face-to-face with a menacing-looking troll. His red eyes seemed to glow from under his hood, his razor sharp teeth bared in a snarl. Protruding from his hood were two long jagged horns, each coming to a sharp tip at the end. Frightened, Tavros dove behind his elder sibling.

"Ah Xaiden, good to see you." Greeted Dr. Pyrope from behind him. Xaiden's head snapped up. This troll barely looked to be 20 years old, maybe even younger. He reminded Tavros of a high school student, but that couldn't be possible. There was no way they'd let a teenager work on something so important.

"Took you long enough Lurros." He growled over Dr. Pyrope's shoulder. "The Empress has been waiting for you too long. Did you read the documents I sent you last week?" His accent was unlike anything Tavros had ever heard before, at least from any other human. It was almost as if he wasn't used to speaking in English.

"I read them as soon as I opened the mailbox." He replied curtly. Xaiden only snorted before turning his gaze on the others.

"Luke are these the children you were talking about earlier this week?" He growled.

"Y-yes, pardon me for not introducing everyone." His father grinned nervously. "This here is my eldest son Rufioh, and the one behind him is his younger brother, Tavros."

"Very nice to meet you boys." Said Xaiden quickly. "And the girls?"

"Those two belong to me and my wife." Answered Dr. Pyrope. "Latula is my eldest and Terezi the youngest."

"Charmed. Now come, the Empress-"

"You know Xaiden you could be a little bit kinder to our guests if you don't mind." Muttered Lurros coolly. Xaiden's eyes narrowed.

"Oi Xaiden, Lurros! Don't make me auspisticize between you two right now! There's work to be done!" Both trolls seemed to stiffen at the voice. Turning their heads the small group watched as a young female troll approached them. Her dark black hair was tied in a neat ponytail that hung well past her waist. In her arms was a clipboard with several important-looking papers attached to it. Her eyes were a deep color of Jade, another color Tavros wasn't used to seeing. Tucked into her breast pocket was a pair of square spectacles. The nametag on her lab coat identified her as Kathia Dronne, Head of the Breeding Department of the Unification Project in Oregon.

"Xaiden why the hell are you even wearing your hood down here? There won't be any light getting down this deep in the ground."

"The weather report stated that it would be sunny today." Xaiden muttered quietly, but nevertheless lowered his hood.

"I don't care what the weather report said this morning. Wearing your hood down here is a hazard in the work zone." Lurros seemed to snicker.

"Don't you be laughing at him Lurros. You're ten minutes late and I don't care what excuse you have. Now if you two don't get your asses over to the Empress right this second you'll both find yourselves with an empty quadrant. Capisce?" The two male trolls grumbled. "I said, **capisce**?"

"Y-yes Kathia." They both muttered nervously, before awkwardly shuffling off towards the back of the cave, their shoulders hunched and heads hung low in embarrassment.

"Kathy you didn't have to be that harsh on them did you?" Said Luke. The female troll sighed.

"I don't want to be hard on 'em, but I find it's the only way to get those two idiots to do anything when they're like that. Lurros should know better too, it isn't like he just came here like Xaiden. Now, you all best be getting over there too. No telling what the Empress's guards'll do if she has to wait any longer. Speakin of which." Kathia raised her voice.

"Oi! Mirtok! They're here! Lets get this damn thing started!" The troll in question happened to be one of the twenty scary trolls Tavros had seen earlier. The giant nodded quickly before raising his arm. In one fluid motion he snapped his fingers, the snap sounding like a crack of lightning in the cave. Instantly all conversation died and, for a few moments, everything was still.

"My dear friends and comrades!" The voice declared. "Today marks a landmark event for both of our races."

"Daddy I can't see." Complained Tavros. "Can I sit on your shoulders please?"

"Sorry Tavros but Mommy and Daddy really need to pay attention right now, so we can't. Just listen what they are saying is really important." Tavros was disappointed, but nevertheless shrugged it off. Looking around he spotted a small opening in the crowded room. Tavros grimaced. He _really _wanted to see what was going on, but he didn't want to lose track of his mother. After a few more moments of thought he made a decision. It was only a few feet, and he could probably still see Mama as long as she didn't move from where she was now. Weaving his way through the jungle of legs Tavros managed to made it into the small clearing. From there he had a much better view of what was going on. Sure, he still had to look through some legs, but now he could see the young Jadeblood standing in front of a podium. Her long hair was pulled back from her face and woven into a long braid that fell just past her tailbone, emphasizing the sharp angles of her face. She looked to be a little older than his own mother.

"For over twenty years," she was saying, "both trolls and humans alike have been rallying for our right to procreate on this wondrous planet. Time and time again those who disagree with our views tested our efforts. With each for step we took they tried to drive us back, but we pushed on until we had sucess."

"As all of you are aware, the International Court of Justice finally passed the Enumeration Enhancement Legislation Act just over two years ago-"

Several cheers rang out in the dark cave. The Jadeblood waited a few moments before continuing.

"-And since that day both species have been working to bring our dream into a reality. And today I can finally say that all of our efforts have finally borne fruit. Behold!" At the wave of her hand, the underground cavern began to rumble. The walls seemed to creak and moan as its ancient stone was forced to move aside.

Tavros began to panic. What was happening? People were suffeling and moving about. Was the cave caving in? What if those sharp teeth on the ceiling fell on them? Where they going to all die? Tavros threw his head back to look at his mother, only to discover that she wasn't there anymore. He _knew_ he never should have left Mama's side! The people had moved her away from him! He began to hyperventilate, his eyes starting to water as he opened his mouth to let out a terrified scream.

Suddenly he felt a large hand come around him, and he found himself pulled into a strong and loving embrace. "Shhhhh." The calm voice whispered in his ear. "I'm here Tavros, don't be afraid." Too late for that. Tavros was shaking like a leaf, his tiny body giving small convulsions as his lungs dragged in ragged breaths. If the rest of the surprise was going to be like this Tavros wanted no part of it. This was even worse than the roller coaster at Disneyland. Why would his parents trick him into seeing something so scary?!

"U-uncle Lurros. W-what is happening?" He barely managed to squeak out.

"Nothing bad. In fact, quite the opposite. You are about to meet the first guest of honor." _First guest of honor?_ Finally the rumbling stopped, and everyone stared wide-eyed at the enormous creature before them.

"NO WAY!" Tavros heard his brother call from a few people over. From behind the wall of stone had emerged a creature unlike Tavros had ever seen. It must have been over twelve feet long, the opening barely large enough to contain its large girth. It had six long stick-like limbs that protruded from various sections of its body. On its head rested two massive horns, both curving up but one tip curved upward while the other pointed downward. Protruding from its back were two transparent butterfly wings that twitched and fluttered softly in the slight breeze in the cave. Overall the creature looked like a giant insect, and its eyes were narrowed as it surveyed the crowd of people.

"What the heck is a Mother Grub doing here?!" Tavros saw his brother was rambling as Lurros carried him back to his parents. Rufioh's mind it seemed, just couldn't process the information his eyes were sending his brain. "There's no way that that is a real Mother Grub. That's gotta be fake there's no way they'd bring a Mother Grub here."

"No Rufioh." Said Lurros slowly. "That right there is a live Mother Grub."

"But what is she _doing _here? I thought there were no such thing as troll children."

"Ah, but that is where you are mistaken."

"U-uncle Lurros, w-what is that scary monster?"

"That Tavros, is my mother." He answered. Tavros's eyes bulged.

"Y-your mama?"

"Well, technically she's not my mother, but she will soon be the mother of thousands of my kin."

"T-thousands?"

Lurros nodded. "The Mother Grub is the creature that lays all of my species' eggs. We share no genes with her, but without her care none of us would be alive today."

With the Mother Grub finally revealed the Jadeblood began to speak once more. "This ladies and gentlemen, is the Mother Grub that we brought to Earth just over two years ago. Since the first day she arrived we have been closely nurturing her, making sure she grew to be a healthy Lusus. Late this spring until she reached full maturity, and was given the genetic material of our brothers and sisters from across the stars. Since then I am proud to announce she has given birth to the first of a generation unlike any that has even been seen before."

Once more cheers rang out in the cave, each voice echoing within the large enclosure. From his godfather's shoulder Tavros watched as a tall silhouette began to make its way over to the Mother Grub. She had the longest hair Tavros had ever seen on anyone before, the dark waves almost dragging on the ground behind her as she approached the Mother Grub. As she moved something seemed to glint in the faint light of the cave, but Tavros couldn't make out what it was. Suddenly the creature seized up and began to growl, and it was then that Tavros noticed that the Mother Grub was curled around something, something that was obviously very important to her. Her snarl seemed to act as a mute button on the celebration. All heads turned to watch as the silhouette gently placed a hand on the monster's head. The sound that came from the figure's frame was unlike anything Tavros had ever heard. The voice was like a singing lullaby, so sweet, so calming, gently soothing his sense and immediately washing away any fear he had left in his heart. Tavros watched in utter fascination as the monstrous creature began to calm down at the sound of the silhouette's song. Gradually, the Mother Grub uncoiled herself, revealing what looked to Tavros like a giant rock nest.

Slowly, gently, the figure removed her hand from the Mother Grub's head to reach into the rock enclosure and grab something from inside it. Walking back to the group the silhouette passed whatever she had in her arms to the Jadeblood at the podium. The Jadeblood seemed to cradle the object as if it were a newborn baby. Such love, such caring was etched into the Jadeblood's eyes that for a moment all was still in the cave. Finally the Jadeblood seemed to snap out of it, and turned to face the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen may I introduce to you, the first generation of trolls to be born on Earth!" And with that the object in her arms began to move. Several gasps filled the cave as the object revealed itself to the crowd.

Tavros had never seen anything like it. The creature looked like a giant caterpillar! With the face of a person! Its body was dyed a deep purple, but its head was completely gray. Six small legs stuck out from its sides, each curled towards the center of its body. Two small orange horns were located on top of the creature's head, amid a mess of moppy hair. The organism looked to be almost the same size as Tavros himself, the Jadeblood having to hold onto it with both arms.

"Uncle Lurros, what is that?" He asked, obviously fascinated and curious about the being before him.

"That my dear child, is baby troll." As if on cue, the creature's eyes opened up to stare at the rest of the crowd. Its eyes were the same deep shade of purple as the rest of its body, rolling in their sockets as it looked around. Opening its mouth the young troll gave out a small yawn that echoed softly in the cave.

"This grub, Grub number 24 is a purple-blood, born just over seven months ago." Spoke the Jadeblood as the creature began to climb it's way up her arm. "He was the first grub to hatch in this first batch of fifty other grubs. This batch is extremely small, the Mother Grub usually lays thousands of eggs at once, but it is a good size for a test batch. Please handle them with care, as they are all very young and are very fragile." Pulling the grub from her shoulder the Jadeblood handed the child to none other than Xaiden, who took the grub in his arms with great care. Gently he brought the troll to one of the back tables.

"Ok Tavros, it's time for us to get to work." Said his godfather as he placed the child on the ground.

"Uncle Lurros, what are you guys going to be doing with those things?" Asked Rufioh.

"I'm not going to be doing much, just overseeing the rest of the scientists, but your mother and father are going to be very busy for the next few hours."

"What are they going to be doing to the baby trolls?"

"Studying them." Rufioh cocked his head. "Since troll children were never allowed to come to earth, this is the first time any human has ever seen a real life grub. Part of the agreement was that the scientists would be allowed to study the grubs once they reached an appropriate age. They have just as much to learn from our kind as we do yours." Rufioh only nodded.

Meanwhile the silhouette from earlier had brought over several other grubs from the stone nest, passing each grub in her arms to a responsible scientist. Soon, all the scientists had been put to work, measuring, weighing, and taking multiple blood samples from each grub. Tavros and Terezi's parents were among those studying the strange creatures, leaving the four children to wander the cave on their best behavior.

Terezi liked to travel from table to table and look at all the different kinds of grubs. One she found had two sets of horns, while another had horns that looked like arrows. A few of them even had small fin-like objects protruding from the sides of their faces. These grubs' bodies also seemed to be a bit different from the rest of the grubs, having a small fish-like tail sticking off the end of their bodies. Rufioh also noted that all the fish-like grubs were purple in color.

Another grub they observed was light blue in color, with one of her horn tips pointed downward, while the other split in two to look like a crescent moon. The grubs right eye was also different, and Tavros realized it had not one but seven pupils. She had looked so cute, curled up on the worktable as the scientists wrote down her weight. Terezi however made the unfortunate decision to try and touch the grub, which resulted in the grub latching onto her finger and refusing to let go until a scientist tempted it to release her with a small piece of meat. From then on the four of them resolved to only look at the grubs.

Tavros's favorite grub however was the grape-colored one, Grub Number 24. He was just so cute! He always seemed to be grinning no matter what was being done to him. As a result Tavros had taken to calling him Happy, like the dwarf from Snow White. He thought about calling him sleepy because his eyes never opened more than half way, but Happy won out in the end. Tavros wanted so badly to pet him, but he'd seen what'd happened to Terezi and thought better of it. Still, he just couldn't tear himself away from the small grub. He would continuously return to whatever table Happy was on, just to watch him move.

After about an hour of grub-watching, the scientists finally returned his favorite Number 24 to the Mother Grub, who then curled around it and began to vigorously comb its hair with one of her large forearms.

Tavros followed the scientists over to the Mother Grub, hoping to spend more time with Happy. Crouching down to the ground he moved to where he could still see the small creature, despite the Mother Grub turning away from him each time he repositioned himself. He wanted so badly to touch him, to hold him in his arms and let Happy crawl all over him. But he was afraid. He noticed how sharp Happy's teeth were; those teeth were clearly meant for tearing flesh from bone, and Tavros wasn't too keen on the idea of it tearing the flesh from his index finger like the blue one had done to Terezi. And then of course there was the Mother Grub, who clearly did not want the two to interact. As much as Tavros wanted to play with him, there was no way he was going to get it away from the Mother Grub. Even when he brought over a piece of meat to act as a lure, the Mother Grub had pulled the wiggling grub back to her arms and refused to let him go, despite all the whining and crying Happy was making as it fought to get to the desired treat. Tavros sighed. He'd just have to sit there and wait and-

"If you want to touch him, you don't have to be afraid."

The voice that came from behind him was like velvet, flowing from her mouth like water from a brook. It was so kind, so comforting it sounded as if she were singing a lullaby.

Tavros whipped himself around to find himself face to face with none other than the long-haired silhouette that he'd seen earlier. But now he could see her clearly, and Tavros's breath caught in his chest. She was the most beautiful troll Tavros had ever seen, even more than Cillia! Her long black hair cascaded down her back, pooling on the ground behind her as she leaned down to the young boy's height. She barely looked to be over fifty, but something about her voice told him that she was much, much older than that. On the side of her head were two long fins that obscured what he was sure looked like fin ears, twitching at the most quiet of noises. Her two long horns stretched almost a foot above her, curving ever so slightly like a bow. Her arms were covered in gold trinkets, each holding a precious stone within them. Upon her head rested a golden headband, the stone on the front acting as a perfect match to the rest of her jewelry. It was then that Tavros realized that he was talking to none other than The Empress herself, her bright pink eyes shining even in the dim light.

Eyes wide Tavros watched as the Empress approached the Mother Grub, singing the same Lullaby from earlier. Resting her hand on the Mother Grub once more she whispered something in a language clearly not human into the ear canal of the creature. The Mother Grub seemed to groan, then, slowly, retreated its forearm to let Happy inch forward. Turning to look at him Tavros could only stare at her beauty, his mouth agape.

"Your name is Tavros, correct?" She asked in her smooth voice. Her English was almost perfect, with only the hint of an accent present. Tavros nodded slowly, still not closing his mouth. "I thought so. You and your brother are Luke and Emily's sons aren't you. You are blessed to be their children. They are the kindest and most understanding people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting." A small whine interrupted their conversation. Happy was pawing at the Empress's leg with its forelimb, his mouth open in a quiet wail. Smiling the Empress picked up the grub with ease, sitting on the ground beside Tavros and letting it curl up in her lap while she stroked his hair lightly. Tavros watched in utter fascination and wonder.

"You can touch him if you would like to." She said quietly. Tavros's eyes widened even further.

"W-what?"

"There is nothing to be afraid of." She continued. "Come." Taking Tavros's hand in her own she guided his hand towards her lap. Happy, sensing something was going on, perked its head up to look at him. Tavros froze. The grubs face was now only inches away from his hand, its purple eyes were fixed on his trembling fingers. The Empress released his hand.

"I won't make you touch him if you don't want to, but if you do this would be the best time." Slowly Tavros began to move his hand forward. Happy tensed, his eyes squinting shut as it growled lightly. Tavros hesitated.

"It's ok. He's just never seen anyone like you before. The worst he could do is bite your finger." _Yeah and look at what happened to Terezi,_ said a voice in his head. Tavros swallowed nervously as he looked from the Empress to the grub. He wanted to so badly, but he didn't want to have to get stitches and be disinfected like his friend. But this might be the only time he would get the change. Finally he made his resolve. _If Peter Pan can face Captain Hook, I can touch this grub._

Taking a deep breath Tavros placed his trembling fingers on top of the grub's head. A few moments passed in complete silence, neither boy or grub moving.

Suddenly Tavros felt a slight pressure pressing against his hand. The grub was rubbing his head against his hand, closing its eyes and letting out what sounded like a satisfied purr. There was an exhale of breath and Tavros looked up to see transparent pink tears running down the Empress's face. Her smile was so bright it seemed to light up the whole cave.

"He likes you." She whispered, her heart seeming to sing with joy. "He likes you a lot." Tavros had no idea what was going on, but if the Empress said Happy liked him, then he was happy too, because he liked Happy back.

"What's his name?" Tavros asks quietly, his hand still rubbing the grub's hair affectionately.

"He doesn't have a name yet. He won't until he pupates and turns into a troll child in a few months."

"Why?"

"Because only after a troll completes his or her trials do they get to choose their own name."

"_Greerf._" Tavros froze.

"Did, did the grub just-"

"_Greerf"_ the grub said again, his focused on Tavros.

"He's talking." Said the Empress warmly.

"_Greerf!"_ The grub cried.

"What, what is he saying?" Tavros asked nervously. "I don't speak alien." The Empress chuckled lightly.

"He's calling you his friend." She translated.

"_Greerf! Greerf greerf greerf!_" It chimed happily, climbing down from the Empress's lap to sit in front of him.

"Um…_greerf?_" The baby troll seemed to shriek with delight, chanting _"greerf"_ over and over again like a mantra. Tavros laughed.

"Uh oh." Muttered the Empress. Tavros laughter died in a second.

"What? What's wrong? Did I do something bad?" He asked nervously.

"No, but this young one seems to think that Greerf is now your name." She answered.

"Oh." Tavros turned to face the grub again.

"_Greerf."_ It said again.

"No no, my name is not Greerf. My name is Tavros. Tav-ros. Get it?" The grub just looked at him confused.

"Um, could you...um...?"

"Of course child." The Empress said smiling. Slowly the empress translated the message, the small troll's eyes getting bigger and bigger with each word said. After a few moments the grub crawled back, looking slightly embarrassed.

"_T-tav-ros_," it muttered his name slowly, as if the word was a foreign food in his mouth. "_T-tav-ros, T-avros, Tav, Tav!_" The grub's eyes seemed to shine at the new word. "Tav! Tav Tav Tav!"

"My name is Tavros, but you can call me Tav if you want to." Said Tavros sheepishly. "I don't mind." The grub grinned, rubbing its head closer to the human's hand.

"Tav."

(A/N)

Hello Everyone! Ok so this is a story I've been working on forever and only just now got around to posting. I will hopefully upload a new chapter every 2 weeks, but we will see how that goes.

Reviews are appreciated! The more feedback I get the more motivated I become! Hope you enjoy!

Artwork is by blueheir413 on dA or nattoppet-dj on Tumblr (can't see artwork on but is in AO3 version)

Editing is by insanesanity813 on dA or condiminaj on Tumblr

I'm CuddleFish124 on both dA and Tumblr.


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